Often times when people talk about sports photography, they complain that the only way to get good results is to go out and spend ten grand on lenses and the latest full frame camera, with maybe a couple strobes thrown in there. Then you need a press pass and a good eye. I disagree strongly with these people. While certainly the best lenses and cameras will enable you to take the sharpest and cleanest images, you can still make great images with humble gear. The shot above was made with a Nikon D40 and a Nikon 55-200 lens. A combo that barely costs 400 dollars. (expensive to some, but in photography, very cheap). I'm not saying this is the greatest image ever, but it just goes to show you can produce solid images with entry-level camera gear. Don't give up if you can't afford the latest and the greatest, nothing beats a good eye and a sense of timing.

Recently I have been struggling with depression. As a sort of way to confront my demons, I thought I would make an image that portrayed the feelings I have. While I am not 100% satisfied with this one, I do feel it gives at least some idea of the struggles caused by depression. The light areas of the image would be the part of me that is fine and normal. The dark is depression, just kind of creeping into all the little areas of my life so sneakily. (An obvious metaphor, but I'm not at a point creatively where I feel comfortable making more abstract or complex ideas in my imagery). The out of focus is also the depression that casts a fog in all aspects of my life.

Wide Angle Primes

I recently bought a 35mm f1.8 Nikon lens. I bought it because I was excited about the low light opportunities it would give me. However, last night I took it out around a small city that I live in. I discovered it opens up many more opportunities for creativity than just the ability to shoot in low light. First, obviously is shooting at low apertures can help blur out distracting back ground details. The more important thing it forces me to do is get up closer to my subject. When shooting pictures of people, for instance, it forces me to have conversations and truly understand the person. This, in turn, allows me to create a more true to life portrait as I can create something that reflects the true "them" rather than my own preconceptions on who they are. While there certainly is some distortion in these wider primes, it is easily fixable in post processing, and the more true to life photos are more than worth the extra time spent on my photos.

Break The Rules

I think that it's very important, for anyone who takes photography somewhat seriously, to focus on breaking the rules sometimes. I'm a member of several photography forums, and it seems that most people on these forums are far more interested in acquiring the latest gear and technical rules, and could care less about the artistic side of things. In fact, if you post a picture that breaks some technical rules of composition, they automatically tell you it's terrible. The fact is that many great photos break the rules of composition, unfortunately a lot of people think that these rules should never, ever be broken. Ask any professional photographer however, and they will tell you right off that breaking the rules is one of the best things that you can do in your picture making. Photography is all about creativity and it seems so few people have any sort of creativity anymore. In the end, what I am trying to say is break the rules. Make images that look good to you, and don't take photographs to please anyone other than yourself. Photography is art and art can be loved or hated, whats important is that you create art you love.

Stars Above Us

Here is a shot that was taken in Show Low, Arizona. There is a little light pollution towards the bottom of the Milky Way, but it doesn't bother me too much. Let me know what you think of the shot in the comments. Tech Specs: 25 Sec Exposure, F3.5, ISO 5000, Nikon D7000, Sigma 18-50 Lens.

The Photographer's Eye Book Review

I'm currently reading The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman. This is probably one of the best books on the market for composition in photography. Having read quite a few books about composition, I have always been frustrated by the lack of depth on the subject. Most books just tell you how to compose a specific scene, but not why. Michael Freeman explores how the eye processes an image, and how the elements interact with one another. He discusses the thought process behind great compositions, and shows why some things just don't work. The book is filled with top notch photography and is a great read for anyone who would like to truly understand composition. Even people who paint or draw could benefit from this book, since it is really about making excellent compositions and not so much about cameras. The only thing that stops me from recommending this to absolutely everyone, is that the reading is very heavy. You will learn a lot from the book, but some of it may be difficult to understand, especially if you're a beginning artist. My rating 5/5

New Blog

I started this blog to talk about all things related to photography. I will be posting pictures, reviews, and how-to's. Hopefully you all enjoy.